Nothing Like Being Dirty
by iWatch2much
Summary: E/S but very much Delena developement. Other characters thrown in there. This is very much for my own pleasure and your. Anything goes, suggestions are welcome.
1. Nothing Like Being Dirty

I was inspired by "Only the good die young" by Billy Joel. This is my first fanfiction so please be kind. Reviews are more than welcome as are ideas and whether I should continue or leave it a one shot. Let me know!

(p.s I do not own the vampire diaries or anything related to it. Just this story.)

Elena's POV

"Did you ever think about how your life would end?" I ask him suddenly. I don't know where the question came from, or why I feel comfortable enough to ask him, but I do. We are sitting on the front lawn at the boarding house absorbing the sun. Well, I'm absorbing the sun; he is just as pale as ever.

He quirks his eyebrow at me and opens one of his icy blue eyes, "why do you ask?"

"I always knew I was going to die young. Kind of like a struggling writer with an epic ending that people would read about in my biography years after my passing."

I take a deep struggling breathe as I feel his hand suddenly on mine. I don't pull away, even though if Stefan caught us, there would be some major explaining to be had. I don't pull away because it feels right, and easy.

"Elena…Klaus is not going to get you. I won't let him, Stefan won't let him, hell even witch bitch won't let him." His tone is light but the way he grips my hand almost desperately makes me believe that this, just like so much of him is a charade.

I open my eyes to meet his. Those blues match the sky and make my heart skip a beat. They are laced with concern and fear, and something else. I can't quite place it until his mouth twists into a smirk that should be illegal in all 50 states. "what?"

"if I knew my life was going to be short I'd want to make the most of it…wouldn't you?" and just like that he grabs a hose from behind him and starts spraying me with it. "DAMON!"

He is chuckling and I am all wet. I take this opportunity to grab the hose and spray it all over his Armani black t-shirt. Laughing hysterically I don't get a chance to realize what is happening when I get grabbed from behind and large masculine hands are turning the water right into my face.

"oo…stop….ahh..Da…On!" Is all I manage to get out between breathes.

The ground is becoming muddy and as I try and get a good angle for the hose I slip bringing Damon with me. With a thunk he is beneath me and we are both covered in dirt. We roll around like that for a few minutes.

"MERCY!" I cry out between giggles after I am too exhausted to play any longer. He drops the hose and pulls the hair from my face. I look into his eyes and I get lost in them. Not too far away a car drives by and I am brought back to earth. I pull myself off of him and get up in order to assess the damage.

The lawn chairs are on their side and covered in water, the lawn is flooded and it is safe to say that I deep scrub is necessary in order to get the already drying mud off of my body.

I look up at Damon and a whole new wave of laughter passes through me. His hair is sticking up in a million different directions. His face has my hand print on it in mud, and his black shirt is torn along the side.

"Look what you've done" I can tell he's only half serious. So I roll my eyes and let it slide, glad that he provided a good distraction from my doom and gloom. God, even my thoughts are starting to sound like Damon.

Chuckling he takes off his shirt and throws it to the side. I look up and my breathe catches in my throat. My eyes act on their own will as they trace his "v" up his abs and to his arms. From there I see his beautiful jaw line and finally his inhuman eyes. I feel a warms start to grow between my legs and I can't help but take a small step forward.

"Elena, earth to Elena? I know I'm irresistible but we should head in and get cleaned up."

"huh?" I look up and see his smirk wider and deeper. But his eyes were no longer sinister, they were gleeful. And this was a very new development that warmed my heart.

Should I keep going?


	2. Knock Before Entering

**A big thank you to my first reviewer ever: couturegal09! She told me to keep going so I shall. Here is chapter 2!**

(I still don't own vampire diaries)

Damon POV

I sat on my bed listening to the shower run. All I could think of was the fact that the girl that I was into was naked, in my bathroom, washing herself. I tried to distract myself by turning on some music and lighting a fire.

To say that my room was plain would be a lie. I had a plat screen TV, a giant white silk sheet bed, and stacks of books randomly laid out. There was a fireplace across from my bed and a giant walk in closet that housed all of my very expensive, and very fabulous clothing. Under my bed there was a little black box that only I knew about. The only reason I only knew about it was because and girl that had the chance to see what was inside was probably compelled to forget.

As the fire crackled and Kings of Leon was playing on my surround sound stereo I couldn't help but hear a little moan coming from the bathroom.

"What the fuck?"

I listened a little closer and what I heard made my jeans feel tight.

"Holy shit!" I heard the main door open and, a person I assumed was Stefan, walk in slowly. Meanwhile Elena was getting increasingly louder and my jeans were getting increasingly tighter.

I knocked on the door and heard a small gasp followed by some very impolite words. "Elena, you may want to stop doing what you're doing in there. I don't mind but I don't think your boyfriend would like to realize that you're in there masturbating with my picture in your mind."

I heard a very loud "FUCK" and then silence as the water turned off and Elena exited the bathroom with only a towel on.

"I don't know what you are talking about; I was n-not master-b-bating."

"Sure, I believe you." She and I both knew that I wasn't convinced but I let it slide knowing that she was embarrassed enough as it is.

Elena POV

I drove the whole way home thinking over the events at the boarding house. After having dressed in some pjs that I had found in Stefan's room I said goodbye to the boys quickly and left with an excuse somewhere along the lines of "Jenna texted wanting me home."

Embarrassed did not even start to cover the way I feel right now. Damon may have let it slide today but I know that this is going to come back and bite me in the ass soon enough.

Parking in the drive way I made my way into the house.

"Jenna I'm home!" I was greeted by silence. My watched said 6:14pm which meant that Jenna should have been home. "Jenna?" I checked the message board that had a note on it saying that Jeremy was at a friend's house and would be home around ten. But, there was nothing from Jenna. I got a little worried and began checking the house. Finding nothing in the kitchen or the living room I proceeded upstairs.

I heard a glass break and a loud thunk followed by a grunt coming from the laundry room. Panic stricken I to the end of the hallway and pushed the door open.

"Jen-, ohh." I stopped dead in my tracks and shut my eyes as fast as I could. I closed the door quickly and mumbled a "im going out," then fled from the house faster than you could say vampire.

**What did she see? What is in the black box? Any guesses? Let me know! And please review, review, and review. Your reviews are what motivate me to keep writing!**


	3. Uncle Joe's

**Thanks everyone for reviewing. Here are the answers to all your guesses, I have been thinking them over and deciding on the pairings, hope I keep you at the tip of your toes. **

**Chapter 3 (I don't own TVD)**

Previously: I heard a glass break and a loud thunk followed by a grunt coming from the laundry room. Panic stricken I to the end of the hallway and pushed the door open.

"Jen-, ohh." I stopped dead in my tracks and shut my eyes as fast as I could. I closed the door quickly and mumbled a "im going out," then fled from the house faster than you could say vampire.

I grabbed my keys and got into my car. Driving quite illegally I zoomed out onto the highway. I just couldn't be in Mystic Falls right now. Too many things happened today that need to be sorted out.

About a half hour later I pulled up in front of a raged old bar names "Uncle Joe's Bar and Grill" that seemed to be fairly empty and quite. Pulling into the parking lot I fixed my make up and went inside.

"Hi, can I help you?" Some dirty brunette asked me from behind the bar.

"Yeh, can I sit or are you closed?" I was fumbling with my keys my voice came out quite and almost childlike.

"Table or bar?" She asked like there was much of a choice. The bar and grill was about the size of my kitchen. It had 3 tables and a giant bar that looked more than fully stocked. There were a few old men sitting at the tables so I immediately opted out of that.

"Bar, definitely." She handed me a menu and then placed a shot of some yellow liquid in front of me.

I gave her a questioning look and she simply smirked and said, "You look like you need it, just don't tell my boss." I smiled at her politely and then stared at the liquid in front of me. The words of Shakespeare filled my mind, _to be or not to be_.

The old me wouldn't think twice about taking this shot…and then asking for about 4 more. But, the old Elena would also not be forcing herself not to think about her boyfriend's brother. She would also not be walking in on her aunt, and legal guardian, having wild and crazy sex with her ex-boyfriend. So, with the image of Jenna and Matt fucking on the washing machine on my mind I breathed out, and then shot back the tequila.

A few minutes later I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. "Yellow?"

"Elena, thank god I reached you. Are you okay? I'm so sorry you had to see that? We were going to tell you, really! Come home? Please Elena, say something, and come home?" It was Jenna babbling on. Too bad the alcohol in my system made me forget to check my caller i.d.

"Jenna, can we talk about this later? I kind of just need to process."

"Yes of course. Just Elena…be safe please?"

"I will. I'll be home as soon as I can." With that I hung up. I put my face on the cool wood of the bar and sighed. Closing my eyes I took a moment to center the room. When did my life become such a joke?

The bartender placed the hamburger in front of me with a smile and a beer. The sun was warming up the room and I had to admit that the beer didn't hurt. I looked down in disgust as I spotted the pickle on my plate.

I thought back to the last time I was in a scene like this. I cold beers…gross pickles…irresistible kidnapper. I mentally slapped myself. Damon is not irresistible, he is rude, and selfish and drives me crazy. He always says the right thing at the wrong time and he is in love with the devil. There is nothing irresistible about that cynical ass.

The very same cynical ass that just walked into the bar and took a seat next to me. I drank my beer deeply and closed my eyes ready for whatever was about to come out of his mouth.

The first thing that hit me was his smell. He smelt of expensive cologne, body soap, and a hint of something spicy. Something that I couldn't quite place but was distinctly Damon.

I continued to wait for him to say something but he didn't even crack a joke. He just sat there, my beer in his hand. This is what started to freak me out.

"What are you doing here Damon?" My tone was a bit more icy than I had intended but it didn't seem to affect him in the slightest.

"Matt called Stefan." Short, simple, and very uncharacteristic.

"Great…and so I repeat, why are **YOU **here Damon?" The way I saw it Stefan was the one to receive the call, not Damon.

"Because I'm told it's bad to drink alone, something about alcoholism. I don't know I wasn't really paying attention to the whole St. Stefan lecture the eight times he gave it."

"Well then we are going to need another beer, cause I'm not sharing."

**Whats next? Are you surprised? I need to know if I should keep going so if I could get at least 15 reviews then I'll write the next part. Hope you liked it!**


	4. Oops

**So I only got to 12 total…or 5 for chapter 3 which makes me a little upset. HOWEVER, there are those who have kept with me and for you I post a new chapter….Are you ready?**

**Chapter 4 (I do not own TVD)**

Previously: "Great…and so I repeat, why are **YOU **here Damon?" The way I saw it Stefan was the one to receive the call, not Damon.

"Because I'm told it's bad to drink alone, something about alcoholism. I don't know I wasn't really paying attention to the whole St. Stefan lecture the eight times he gave it."

"Well then we are going to need another beer, cause I'm not sharing."

Damon's POV

About 2 hours after having arrived at this dump I had started to replace Elena's beers with water. I was worried about her, she never drinks willingly, I usually have to convince her to have some real fun. And here I was sitting at the bar brooding when Elena was dancing practically shirtless on a table to some dump blonde bimbo song.

When did this become me? I slapped myself not so mentally and looked up taking a shot down and cursing under my breathe. Our eyes caught and I could see the hurt hidden behind the smile. So I decided that for tonight, I would let her play pretend.

I would let her act like I'm not a vampire or her boyfriend's brother. Like her aunt was not just banging her ex…and like in the near future, she will probably not die a very painful death.

Tonight I would let her act crazy and carefree, because tomorrow she would have to face the music.

Sighing I rolled my eyes when a smirk rolled onto her face. I stride over to her with my shirt hanging loosely open and my white wife beater showing, and pull her off the table. I buy her another 3 shots because her drunken eyes are begging me in a way that makes me remember the shower she took this morning all too clearly.

"OMFG! I fucking love this song!" I recognize it as Burned by Better than Ezra and laugh at this young girl with fabulous taste in music. She hops onto the bar and starts belting out the lyrics in slurred but perfect pitch.

Chuckling I get onto the bar as well. Her eyes nearly pop out of their sockets when she sees me up on the bar next to her. She giggles it off and yells over the music, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"IM THE BETTER FUNNER AND OBVIOUSLY HOTTER BROTHER! REMEMBER?"

"Oh YEHH! I FORGOT!" She rolls her eyes in the special way she does and then resumes the lyrics with me singing right next to her.

The song ends all too quickly for my liking and we jump off the bar after a few stern looks from the manager.

"Damon? I want more…can I have more please?" She holds up her empty glass.

"Yeh Yeh, just don't blame me for the head ache you have tomorrow." With that we shared another 3 shots of something very strong and very bad. By this point even I was beginning to feel the effects.

Some red head grabbed me to go dance and with a wink at Elena I was pulled off into the middle of the dance floor.

Elena's POV

Someone enters the Joe's and cool air hits my sweaty and burning skin. Shivering suddenly I grab what can only be Damon's Italian Leather Jacket, and put it on. Once again his scent engulfs me and I cant help but feel safe and comfortable.

Something is moving in the left pocket and with slow and disoriented movement I pull a phone out of his jacket.

"Hello?" I say, it comes out slurred but I am convinced that the point got across.

"Hello, who is this?" It is a man's familiar voice on the other line and something in the pit of my stomach lurches, something that is definitely not the alcohol.

"This is Elena. I'm sorry I am a little" I struggle to find a proper word to explain my current state, "out of it, would you mind telling me…who you are?"

"Elena, it's Ric." I continue to be silent as I try and put a face to the name. Obviously understanding my difficulty he tries again. "Alaric Saltzman, your history teacher and somewhat of a stepfather."

"OHHHHH, Ric sorry, what's up?"

"I was actually trying to get a hold of Damon…" Looking over I see that Damon is more than a little preoccupied with the two girls that he was currently grinding with. Rolling my eyes and ignoring the little green monster inside of me I return my focus to the call.

"He's busy right now…can I take a message or something?"

"Yeh, just tell him I called and need to talk to him soon okay?"

"Yeh I will, and Ric?"

"Yes Elena?"

"I'm sorry about what Jenna's been doing behind everyone's backs. I know it must have hurt you, you loving her and her doing the nasty and I just don't understand what you're going through-"

"Elena! What the HELL are you talking about?"

Suddenly realizing that I had not filtered my words with my drunken mind all I manage to say is "oops."

**SO that's it for now. Just a kind of fluffy lead in chapter. Any ideas about what I should do next? What song should I feature in the next chapter? DO you all wanna see Delena develop faster? Anyone want to see a particular fun scene play out? Should I put Caroline with Matt or Tyler….OR Stefan? Do we want to see a gay Jeremy for Tyler? LET ME KNOW! (Im still shooting for 15 reviews for this chapter…so please please please review!)**


	5. Dress Shopping

Chapter 5

**SOOOOO sorry for holding out on you but I just started junior year and have been super busy. **

**Also, due to lack of response to my previous chapters I was kind of uninspired to write. So this is me trying to rekindle the flame that is this fanfiction. It would really help if I got some reviews ;P**

"I'm sorry about what Jenna's been doing behind everyone's backs. I know it must have hurt you, you loving her and her doing the nasty and I just don't understand what you're going through-"

"Elena! What the HELL are you talking about?

Suddenly realizing that I had not filtered my words with my drunken mind all I manage to say is "oops."

Elena's POV

"_Elena, wake up, you need to wake up" Damon said to me in a teasing tone. I smirked and take a deep breath trying to catch his sent. I slowly open my eyes when I realize that it doesn't smell like him, same expensive smell, but no spicy Damon originality. And this is what brings me into reality._

I gasp as I see green eyes smiling at me as his hands brush the hair from my face. Stefan.

"Finally, you have not been very responsive in your sleepy state."He says to me mockingly. I know it shouldn't hurt me but the iciness that I just barely detect in his voice stings me a little.

I try and sit up but suddenly the whole world decides to spin madly and I can't help but feel like a little girl on a roller coaster who is about to throw up.

Someone coughs in the doorway. As I look up I say Damon with an amused expression leaning against the doorframe. In one hand he holds a cup of something that smells volatile, in the other he holds a couple of aspirin.

I get out of bed cautiously. When I finally get the world to stand still I quickly make my way over to Damon grabbing the aspirin and the red smelly concoction and downing them both quickly.

Once they are both settled in my stomach and not threatening to reappear I look up at Damon and smile. "You are a gift from god."

I suddenly bulge me eyes out and have an internal freak out at the words I have just uttered. It was an accident, slip of the tongue, common expression. NO it was stupid, and said in a state of complete and utter hangover.

"I know." He replies in a cocky tone. He doesn't bother to do that sexy eye thing I try so hard to ignore because there is something in his eyes telling me that it's all an act. He doesn't actually know. His eyes tell him that he thinks I don't appreciate him. What a stupid old man.

He stand like that, me examining him, him examining me, until the substance that I had unquestioningly chugged earlier decides that it might actually want to make an appearance after all.

At this point I realize that I have been completely ignoring my boyfriend, who has obviously been watching the whole exchange very closely.

I know this much from the hurt expression he carries on his face. The same expression that so quickly disappears when I look back at him.

If there was one thing the brothers had in common it would be the ability to hide themselves from anyone but me.

I make my way down the stairs cautiously, a new sense of strength filling me and erasing all sense of nausea.

Damon has already sped ahead of me and has begun preparing my favorite breakfast: Grilled cheese with tomato.

I sit down at the island with Stefan right beside me and lay my head on his shoulder. And just then a light bulb goes off in my head.

"Damon, what the hell was in the red thing u gave me to drink" He turns to me with a shy look on his face, not one I was previously familiar with. He eyes Stefan and then his face becomes teasing.

"Don't worry your pretty little heads about it." On a day where I don't have a major hangover I will be sure to press him on that subject. For now, I file it away in my mental Yell-At-Damon folder.

I groan when someone very persistent decides to pay the house a visit. I slowly get up and make my way to the door.

I open it to find Ric on the other side, fuming, did I mention that he is fuming?

He pushes past me and into the kitchen where he knows the Salvatore's are residing currently. My grilled cheese is sitting on a plate in front of Damon. "I'm going to guess he knows." I say.

"You really were drunk last night; you don't remember that slight slip of the tongue when you decided to answer MY phone?"

"Oops."

"Yeh that's what you said last night" Ric chimes in. "Where is she?" He seems too put together for a person who just found out his girlfriend has been having a very illegal affair on him.

"Asleep" Stefan answers before I get the chance. "Alone."

I fight the urge to roll my eyes at Stefan and simply leave to get ready for the day.

"Caroline slow down, some of us are hung-over still!"

"You're not hung over silly!"

"Yes Caroline I am, I drank A LOT last night!"

"I know that silly, but you are allll healed up now. I can smell it on you! Now you're just a slow human who is going to have a very crappy junior prom dress if we don't hurry!"

I didn't get a chance to ask what the hell she meant as she dragged me into the next store to try on some more dresses.

"EKKKK! That one is perfect!" Caroline squealed as I came out in a beautiful dress. It was a striking dress, that normally I would never try on. It was a very risky and sexy dress. To start with it is red, not a dark red, but a showy -look at me -blood kind of red. To go past that, there was practically no back to it. It swooped down to my butt in a embroidered "v" accentuating my butt perfectly. The back itself had an embroidered "x" across it. The front had an embroidered high waist and showed little glimpses of my side skin. The whole thing was made of fabulous-to the –touch silk.

"It is sooo beautiful Caroline but isn't it a bit much?"

"NO! It's fabulous! The boys are going to die!"

I stood there looking in the mirror and contemplating "the boys". I knew that I should have been thinking about how Stefan would react to the dress but all I kept thinking was how Damon's eyes would twinkle with sexual hunger. It was wrong in so many ways but this idea, the idea of Damon wanting to devour me, it sent exciting chills down my spine.

I turned to the sales girl and said, "I'll take it."

**Hopefully that will pull you guys over for the time ive left you waiting. Hopefully I'll have the next part up by the end of this week. **

**And I leave you with this: What was in the stuff Damon gave Elena for her hang over? **

**Elena's dress link: .?level=album&id=109&cid=4**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW 3**


	6. Heaven

**Changing up the style a bit here. I'm sorry if its confusing! Just ask questions and I will answer in the **

**REVIEW BOX!**

"NO! It's fabulous! The boys are going to die!"

I stood there looking in the mirror and contemplating "the boys". I knew that I should have been thinking about how Stefan would react to the dress but all I kept thinking was how Damon's eyes would twinkle with sexual hunger. It was wrong in so many ways but this idea, the idea of Damon wanting to devour me, it sent exciting chills down my spine.

I turned to the sales girl and said, "I'll take it."

Chapter 6

Caroline's POV

My newly purchased dress lay in a big silver box in my shopping bag as Elena and I sat down at The Grill to eat. My dress was perfect!

It was a sexy deep blue color, almost like sapphire. It had one shoulder and a sweet heart neck line. The strap had intricate flowers going down and hugging the front of my waist across my right breast. There were embroidered crystals all along the flowers.

The embroidery continued over the same strap and down the back a bit revealing a beautiful cut out. Over all the dress's blue silk hugged her curves perfectly and fell elegantly in a small pool around my legs.

I know it is wrong to think but all I could do was picture Tyler's wolfie grin when he saw me in the dress. Obviously we wouldn't be arriving together but hey, a girl can dream. I particularly dream about the way ill come in by myself and then look over my shoulder and catch Tyler drooling over his spiked punch.

OH and how he will look in that fabulous tux! All sleek, shaven and smelling—

"CAROLINE!"

"Oh Matt, sorry what's up?"

"Well, I was asking what you were gonna have…" He eyed her questioningly and then pointed to the menu with a dur-expression.

My cheeks would light up if I were human out of embarrassment…thank god I'm not.

"Oh just a soda for me thanks." I smile sweetly at him, trying to conceal my not so nice thoughts about my ex boyfriend's best friend.

"Yeh sure." After Elena finished her order she looked at me.

Now she isn't looking at me in the friendly lets –chit- chat kind of way. She is looking at me in the spill-it-sister kind of way…far worse.

"What did you mean before?"

"What did I mean when?" I ask innocently. Here I actually thought she might know me well enough to think that I had feeling for someone, or even that I was hiding something. But no, classic Elena doesn't pay much attention to me.

"You said you could-" her voice drops an octave, "smell him on me?"

"Oh that! It's nothing."

"Yes it is something, otherwise you wouldn't have said it Caroline."

"It is really nothing, just don't die in the next couple of hours."

"BLOOD? You could smell his blood on me..how Is that even possible, I didn't drink his blood."

"Yes you did, let me venture a guess. You had Damon's help with the hangover?"

"Yehhh." I really can't believe how thick headed she is sometimes.

"When I was human, Damon would take me partying, even on school nights. In the morning I would always complain about how I had to go to school with a hangover. So he would make me a bloody Mary every time, but instead of it being just the regular hangover tool, he would add a few drops of his blood in it." At this Elena chocked on her Root Beer. I roll my eyes and continue. "It helped me get over the hangover way faster!"

Elena's POV

To say the news is jaw dropping…would be an understatement. Here's a few better words:

What the fuck

How could he

Bastard

SHIT SHIT SHIT

Hes dead

Crao I cant die

Fuck him

What an asswhole

Wait…that's kind of sweet.

NO scratch that last one out. FML.

Damon's POV

I was reading in my room, and drinking a nice cup of tea when it happened. Now before judgement is passed I like tea. It's relaxing, and tasty, and doesn't force me to regenerate my liver every time I drink it. So in the privacy of my own room I do the very non bad ass thing and I drink tea.

The door in the Foyer SLAMED shut, and that door is not so easy to slam, even for a muscle bearing vamp like me. That was my first clue that I should run.

The second clue was the stomping of feet up to my wing of the house. They weren't the usual im-elena-and-im-mad stomps. They were more the im-so-passed-elena-and-into-katherine-mode stomps. Those were not normal.

SO as the fuming yet calm face (yes ik its not possible,but trust me it is) appears in the doorway, I try very hard not to pee myself.

"Yes darling?"

"DON'T YOU 'DARLING' ME!"

"Okay…"

"BLOD DAMON! REALLY? I HAVE A HANGOVER AND YOUR TREATMENT IS TO TRICK ME INTO DRINKING YOUR BLOOD!"

"yes?" The look she gave me would have made me reconsider, but I'm Damon, and Damon is always right, and apparently speaking in 3rd person?

"what if I had been attacked today?"

"Elena, your fine, everythings fine, stop freaking out and have a drink."

"I DON'T WANT A DRINK, I WANT TO…wait… is that…tea?" with this she fell to the ground in a fit of giggles, and I could not help but imaginarily wipe the nonexistent sweat from my forehead.

"Don't judge me. I am still bad ass." To this she laughs some more. "Alright so I suppose that's a no to the drink part…thanks for stopping by and yelling, then laughing at me…are you sure you're not bipolar?" I say this while pulling her up to her feet and leading her toward the door.

To this she smacks me gently in the arm. But I can see the way her eyes light up a bit and the corners of her mouth tilt just barely up. And that little piece of heaven, that is only mine. The part that tells me that no one else puts that look on her face. That is everything I need.

**SOOO next chapter…junior prom..or more fluff before that? What do you think?**

**Snuck in a bit of Tyler and Caroline there. I REALLY love their story this season!**

**Any questions, if there is anything confusing, ASK! That's what the review box is for.**

**What else is it for? REVIEWS! **


	7. passion

**Hey everyone. I know it has been a while but I was looking for inspiration..and I think it has found me! PLUS when I finally wrote the chapter my house lost power for 5 days. Crazy I know. SO here is the next chapter. I was going to write more into the plot but a specific moment flashed into my mind…and I had to get it out to you. **

**Enjoy! And this is one of the chapters that I actually really love so please **_**review **_**and let me know what you think!**

EPOV

With junior prom just around the corner I couldn't help but notice that no one, not even my boyfriend had asked my yet. I mean even Jenna was going in her own twisted way.

She volunteered to be a chaperone which allowed her to dress up and be ogled by Matt while keeping it innocent and most importantly LEGAL. She attempted to explain the whole dynamic to me a few days ago but to be honest I REALLY wasn't into the conversation. Actually I was pretty close to pulling my eyes out.

Anyway, back on track. I am hot, and I have a hot dress, and I have a hot boyfriend with an even hotter brother so why is it that I have not date? Holy mother of fucking shit…did I really just think that. UHHH I need a drink…shit did I just think that too.

I chew on my lower lip and contemplate my current date situation and the fact that I am starting to sound eerily like Damon. I roll my eyes as an image of how he would react played into my head.

As I walk around the Salvatore kitchen in just a long t-shirt I realize that this place, it has begun feeling a whole lot more like home than my place did. I grabbed my two tea cups and start making my way mindlessly to Damon's room when I look up and see Stefan, standing there.

So yeh it's suppose to be all cute and romantic how he watches me and the love in his eyes is suppose to make my heart skip a beat and my knees go weak. But all it really does is creep me out just a smidge.

"Hey." I say trying not to feel guilty even though for reasons unbeknownst to me I always feel guilty around him now.

"Hi. Who's the tea for?"

"Huh?" I look down and suddenly remember the cups in my hands. "OH that yeh it's for Damon, kind of an inside joke thing." I lose the strength in my voice by the end of that sentence because let's face it; I'm bringing my boyfriend's brother tea, even though everyone thinks he's a bad ass. OH and I just so happen to be in a long t-shirt not wearing pants.

"Okay…" He kind of looks scary from this angle, all possessive and primal.

"Yeh I should go give it to him before it gets cold."

"Yeh sure." I start to turn away when he mumbles something that I just barely am able to catch. "We're not okay are we?"

He sound so heartbroken that it makes me want to break in two, but his words ring a silent bell of truth and I can't lie to him.

I set the cups on the counter and walk over to him. I pull his face into my shaking hands and say "No, I don't think we are, I don't know why, but I think that's the honest truth." I pull him into a hug filled with love and care and comfort. But as I pull away a light bulb shines and I realize what has always been missing.

PASSION.

I push the thoughts of this out of my mind saving them for later. I grab the mugs again and make my way over to Damon's room.

I tap on the door with my knuckles because my hands are full, even though I know that he knows that I am here. As the door opens I look up to meet his piercing baby blues. I push all sad and unwanted thoughts of Stefan out of my mind and bring the two mugs up higher with a silly smirk on my face.

He pushes the door open and grabs one of the cups then plops onto his bed and pushes the remote toward me.

I can't help but think this is the way that it's supposed to be, easy. No conversation necessary, read each other's minds, no fighting. I knew he wanted me to sit with him because that's what he told me. He just didn't use words.

DPOV  
>She laid down beside me and sipped on her tea. I can tell that something is wrong but I know her well enough to know that she'll mention it when she is ready. I pick up my copy of <span>Gone with the Wind <span>and flip to a random page. I have read this book so many times that the pages are worn down thin and there are ink impressions in the margins.

It is a first edition that I snagged hot off of the presses back in 1936. The book smells faintly of dust and alcohol. There are drops of candle wax on random pages. This is something she notices as she looks over at me.

"Why is there wax on the page?" She lifts her hand instinctively and traces the drop on the page. "I mean…didn't you have light back then?"

I smirk shyly at how observantly blunt she is. "Yeh we had light." At this she raises an eyebrow and waits patiently.

"This book, it's written about 1864. I can't really explain it well but, on nights when I wasn't out seducing the women of the 40s I would sit in my room, turn out all the lights, and spark a match. The warm light from the candle and the words on the page…Combined they brought me back, to my humanity I guess. They made me feel like I wasn't a vampire scorched by love out to haunt my little brother." I grew silent and distant.

"What did you feel like then?" I could hear how cautious she was in the tremble of her voice.

"I was a human who loved his brother. Who had a horrible relationship with his father because he cared so much that he took the blame for all of the mistakes. I would write poetry for the women I courted, and mask it all by being the ladies man and the one to keep the local bar running. I was the guy who would ride his favorite horse out to the lake for a swim at midnight just so that I could look at the stars. But during the day, I would hide that all away to keep my family thinking I was a screw up with half a brain and no future."

All of a sudden I felt a tear on my cheek followed by a feather of a kiss.

She pulled away and got up. I look at her in confusion and she only smiles in reply. She walks over to one of the candles, lights it and then walk to the lights. After putting those out I feel her climb back in to bed.

"Then let's get away together, read to me?"

I have to clear my throat in order to regain composure. NO one has ever done something like that for me. No one has wanted to get away with me. Run away from? Yes… Run away with? Yes. But with the wind blowing outside of my window and the candle light eliminating her every beautiful feature….No one has ever wanted to get away from the world with me. And this simple and tiny gesture…it warmed my stone cold heart.

"'_Do you mean to tell me,' cried Scarlett in amused amazement, 'that you haven't asked Pa for Suellen? And you've been courting her for years!'…_

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	8. Tonight is the night everything changes

**I know I've been bad. BUT I wrote one of my longest chapters so hopefully you won't scold me too much. Here it is, PLEASE REVIEW any and all commentary (good and bad) is welcome. **

**Chapter 8**

"Then let's get away together, read to me?"

I have to clear my throat in order to regain composure. NO one has ever done something like that for me. No one has wanted to get away with me. Run away from? Yes… Run away with? Yes. But with the wind blowing outside of my window and the candle light eliminating her every beautiful feature….No one has ever wanted to get away from the world with me. And this simple and tiny gesture…it warmed my stone cold heart.

"'_Do you mean to tell me,' cried Scarlett in amused amazement, 'that you haven't asked Pa for Suellen? And you've been courting her for years!'…_

EPOV

I have done it. I have pushed past the fact that he didn't ask me. That no one really asked me. I have dealt with it and on some weird level I think I understand.

I'm standing in front of my full length mirror with my dress on. I have my tall black stilettos on and my make up done dark, mysterious. I don't know what was so liberating about it but for tonight…I don't want to be me. Maybe I can be Katherine…or maybe I can be someone else, I don't know, great I'm babbling in my brain!

My hair is in slight waves and my clutch is a dark red and black lace.

I look over to my night stand and see the picture of my mom and dad that I have kept there since I was sixteen. They were happy. They were happy, until I ruined it.

Yes. For tonight I'll be someone else.

I don't know why, much like most of my reasoning today, but I have opted for walking to the school. It's only about five minutes and even in my heels I don't mind.

It is when I am standing about ten feet from the entrance that I close my eyes. I feel someone's presence beside me and when I open my eyes, I see Matt.

He looks at me sadly then returns his gaze to the school. I think he might be one of the only people who actually remember the date.

"I didn't expect you to show up." It isn't a question or an answer, it is just a statement. He takes his flask out of him pocket and takes a sip.

I remember that I'm trying to be someone new tonight, so I grab his flask and take a few large and quick shots.

I am about to give it back to him when I notice he's halfway down the walkway on his way in.

He always tried to help me, even when he didn't know how, and today was nothing different. So yeh he is dating my aunt, but if anyone understood what it was like to lose the people you care about, it would be Matt. His mother left him, his sister left…then died. He has had to watch them slip away.

I close the flask and slip it into my clutch.

*Flashback*

_EPOV_

_We all are sitting in Tyler's car taking turns drinking out of the large flask filled with my favorite poison, tequila. I am wearing a black dress with a puffy and short skirt that shows off my legs but keeps it classy. In my hands is a red clutch with intricate black lace. It's my favorite clutch because I have carved a secret compartment on the inside where my thin flask fits perfectly. _

_Finishing off the main flask I make sure that mine is sealed tight and hide it in my bag. _

_Matt gets out of the car first and with a goofy and slightly drunken grin offers me a hand._

"_Mi lady?" I giggle at his speech but grab his hand anyway. He pulls me in for a kiss that we quickly turn into a short make out session. I love him so much that it makes me sigh with content._

"_Come on love birds" Caroline nudges when everyone is out of the car. _

_Matt places one last peck on my lips, smiles and drags me toward the school. _

_Tonight is going to be perfect._

*End Flashback*

As I enter the auditorium I start to feel the effects of the alcohol.

I wish I could say that when I walk in everyone's breathe catches in their throat and my dream guy looks at me with adoration, but I can't.

So I walk up to coat check, hand them my coat and walk onto the dance floor.

DPOV

I can tell she is here even before I see her. I know its cliché and all, but it's true.

I was roped into chaperoning tonight per Stefan's request. Something about impending doom and safety. To tell you the truth, I wasn't listening.

No, I was too busy eavesdropping.

_* Flashback*_

_Caroline and Elena had walk into the Grill and I just love listening to the town gossip. If I am going to get that anywhere, it would be Vampire Barbie, so I listen in. _

"_Elena your soooo not excited, get excited!"_

"_I know I'm sorry Care, maybe when it comes closer to the date?"_

"_Elena j-prom is in 2 days! What is wrong?"_

"_Nothing Caroline, I'm just worried."_

"_Well stop. So what if I'm a vampire and you're twins with your not so dead great great great whatever grandmother? And yes there is some big scary dude out to get you. BUT, you have a hot dress, a hot body to put in that dress and you have two HOT boys pining over you."_

_Elena smiled slightly at that. _

"_Okay fine I will try and get cheery."_

"_Yay lets order!"_

_I tune out after that and tune back into Stefan just as he had asks me, "So you'll do it?"_

"_Yeh I'll do it. Relax and don't get your panties in a twist."_

_*End Flashback*_

That's how I got stuck in this mess. So far, it hasn't been worth it but her presence was electrifying, even though I had yet to actually see her.

For the next hour I hear her laugh and dance with her friends, but I do not look, because that would be 'pining' as Barbie put it, and Damon Salvatore does not pine. Great now I'm talking in third person, God I need a drink.

No. What I need is to have fun. SO I grab a random girl in some red slinky dress and start to move.

"Well hi there Damon. "

I stop dead in my tracks, pun intended. Then I shake it off and try and appear way more nonchalant than I am in reality.

"My my Elena, I didn't even recognize you."

"Well, that might be because I'm not me. "

"Oh? Then who are you?"

"I don't know, not me? The old me, fun me. Pre- dead parents and dead men me."

"And why is that?"

"Because, it has been 365 days. Today, I don't want to be me. Can I be you today?"

"Sure you can be me, but I don't think you'd pull it off." The music has changed to a song of medium speed, slow enough to dance waltz style but fast enough that there is not a lot of thought and emotion to it. "But why would you want to be me when you are much more awesome."

"Did you just say I'm awesome?"

"Yeh, but that's only because you won't remember it tomorrow." She leans down on my shoulder and I can tell that she is trying too hard tonight. That she is exhausted. I take this chance to look at her. At first glance she looks even more mouthwatering and beautiful than usual. But behind her drunken eyes I can see pain, deep rooted pain.

"Damon, it was all my fault." She speaks so softly that I nearly don't catch her words.

"Huh?"

"The accident. In about one hour a year ago my parents came to pick me up from this dance. And they never did anything else again. It is all my fault."

I look into her eyes and want to tell her that she is wrong, that it was fate, or that she shouldn't beat herself up about it. But then I would be a hypocrite and she doesn't need that.

Instead I just kiss her forehead and let her rest on my shoulder as the music slows and we continue dancing.

EPOV

So maybe I'm a little drunk, but this moment. I won't ever forget it. The clarity in my mind has sparked my thoughts.

He isn't Stefan. Nowhere near. If I had said those words to Stefan he would try and tell me how wrong I was, he would reason with me and try and convince me about how illogical I was.

But Damon, he just held me. He didn't tell me how wrong I am because he knows the feeling. Because on some level his humanity blames him about all the lives he has taken, all the families he has destroyed, even his own.

He gets that no level of logic will take this feeling away. And when he kisses my forehead, all he says is that he knows. He knows and he is there for me, with me.

So as the dance winds down, I stay in Damon's arms. At some point he steals the booze from my bag and we both take a few shots. He compels the DJ to pick a more cheery selection, and we just loose ourselves in the moment, the alcohol, the music, and each other. He takes my mind off of my troubles and saves them for another day.

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	9. Adventures of a true story

**NEW CHAPTER. Sorry it took so long! It's my junior year and I'm super swamped PLUS I had writers block! Hope you like REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. **

_He isn't Stefan. Nowhere near. If I had said those words to Stefan he would try and tell me how wrong I was, he would reason with me and try and convince me about how illogical I was._

_But Damon, he just held me. He didn't tell me how wrong I am because he knows the feeling. Because on some level his humanity blames him about all the lives he has taken, all the families he has destroyed, even his own._

_He gets that no level of logic will take this feeling away. And when he kisses my forehead, all he says is that he knows. He knows and he is there for me, with me._

_So as the dance winds down, I stay in Damon's arms. At some point he steals the booze from my bag and we both take a few shots. He compels the DJ to pick a more cheery selection, and we just loose ourselves in the moment, the alcohol, the music, and each other. He takes my mind off of my troubles and saves them for another day._

It was a Sunday when I began to forgive myself for my parent's death.

I was sitting on the ground by their head stones and for once I was not plagued by guilt. Of course I will never forget my part in what had happened, but if the past year has taught me anything it is that I can't beat myself up for the past. I can only look to make improvements for the future.

It was a Tuesday when I broke up with Stefan.

We both cried, and we both apologized but in the end it didn't matter. We were too far gone to ever go back.

I will always remember the epic love we shared, but we didn't see a reason to ruin a good thing by pretending way passed the expiration date.

It was a Thursday when I said goodbye to Mystic Falls for the summer. I guess I just needed to get a way. My troubles would still be there when I got back, but for now I needed a break from reality.

So here I am, touring Europe and hoping that somehow I will finally heal.

I have been to a few villages in France, Greece, and England.

I am on my way to Dublin for a few days. I hear they have nothing to see but everything to learn. I guess I like that. The idea of just getting stuck in the moment and enjoying the people around me.

I have started writing again. It wasn't easy but I think starting to move on from the death of my parents has fueled my need to stay connected somehow.

Ironically I deal with missing everyone by writing short fantasy stories about my life and publishing them online. A few chapters into my second story an online journal offered to pay me for my stories. So, now I write for the Online Coffeehouse Journal.

When I left Mystic Falls for the summer I decided to cut off all communication and focus on myself and healing. I guess part of me hopes that somehow they have gotten hold of my writing and realize that everything I write is about them.

The OC journal has a little joke about me being crazy. I guess it is because in my dedication page I wrote "Based on the true story of my life." The sad part is that they think I am just really creative. They don't know that the chapter about my vampire birth mother committing suicide right in front of me is true. Or that my best friend got turned by my really old vampire twin ancestor.

I actually wrote a chapter about Katherine. I met her while in Greece.

I was in a small café reading when I hear my own voice ordering a coffee in fluent Greek. The next thing I know I am having a quite civil conversation with her. She told me what she has been up too and I tell her about what I am doing.

None of us mentions the Salvatore name because she's obviously still in love with Stefan and I am obviously still faking denial about my feelings for Damon.

We exchange emails and phone numbers as part pleasantries and partially because she wants me to keep her updated on Stefan.

We both know that we won't keep in touch, but sometimes it's nice to pretend that our lives somehow resemble normalcy.

Three days after that encounter I board a plane to Dublin. I get a strange feeling of restlessness and panic if I stay in a town too long. It is almost as if I fear someone is coming after me.

It is a Wednesday when I meet him.

His name is Harry and he has a tattoo of a scorpion on his left shoulder blade. He drinks too much beer, smells of cigarettes, and plays the drums every Tuesday at the local pub.

He hits on me for about five minutes until I decide to become an easy lay. Just to be safe I spike his drink with vervain. But when realize he's human, I let him take me back to his apartment three doors down from the book store I met him in.

He knows about literature and is good in bed. I let him introduce me to some of his friends and take me out to a lake to watch the sun set.

We have sex in the back of his old boat about three times before I realize that I can't feel anything. About three minutes after my fourth orgasm I recognize that I'm okay with that.

It is a Monday when I receive the voice mail I've been dreading. It is the same day I realize it's time to go home.

Harry gives me his number and makes me promise to call him if I ever decide to come back, then drives me to the airport so that I don't have to pay cab fare.

I listen to the voice mail for the first time while waiting for boarding time at the airport.

It's from Damon.

He doesn't say much, only one thing really and its enough to make me realize why I can't let things go back to the way they were before I left.

"Hey, I know you said don't call but, I never listen to what you say anyway." He chuckles and then hangs up.

I don't know what bothers me more, how little he actually says, or how much his words actually mean.

It is a Tuesday when I arrive. Jenna drives me from the airport and asks me all about where I have been, who I've met.

She tells me that the town has put a link to my writing on the town website, that everyone has been reading my work.

I answer politely but can't seem to find the words that make her feel like she hasn't lost me. I don't think she notices. When I get home Matt is in the kitchen with Jeremy making me dinner.

"You've been around too much European food so we thought you could use a nice home made classic American dinner," Matt jokes.

"Is that Mac and Cheese?" I answer, partially to seem interested an partially because I could actually use some comfort food.

"What else? And we have mashed potatoes, and a nice burger grilling." Jeremy seems really eager to have me home and that makes me happy. Maybe I did something right with him.

"So all the clichés then?"

Everyone laughs. "So, I know you just got back but some of your friends REALLY wanted to see you tonight so they are coming over for dinner too." Matt informs me. As if on cue the door bell rings. About two seconds later Caroline runs in with a pie in her hands. Behind her come Bonnie and Stefan.

The get together is in full swing but I can't seem to get into it.

"He isn't coming you know?" Alaric has managed to sneak up on me.

"Who?" I try and play innocent but we both know I have been keeping one eye on the door the whole night.

He just raises his brow at me in mockery and keeps talking. "He was going to but then he chickened out last minute. Said something about giving you some more space and grabbed a blonde on his way out of the door. If you ask me the blonde was more for show than anything else."

I don't say anything, just walk over to the fridge and grab myself a beer.

"You drink now?" Jeremy caught me in the act.

"Yeh, Europe mellowed me out so I'm less of a hard ass now." I wink at him and he grins.

"Could it be that my sister has finally come home! No more tragic Elena? Whatever am I going to do now when I need someone to yell at me? It isn't like Jenna is gonna crack the whip!"

"Hey, watch it. I can still 'crack the whip' I can just do it while holding a beer in the other hand."

Jeremy gives me a hug and then walks off to talk to Bonnie.

About three hours later I find myself on my front porch swing writing a new chapter. The party has died down and all that's left is Matt and Jenna cleaning up the house inside.

In my story I don't write much, but I make the main character, Samantha, sit at the local bar. As she sits there drinking her beer she is contemplating her feelings for Logan all she can seem to think is about how its time for her to make the move. Because, no matter how much of an ass Logan has always been, he has always tried his best to make her safe and happy. Just as she finds herself making that decision Logan comes into the bar and takes a seat.

'I'm done pretending,' Logan tells her. 'I'm done waiting. Let's stop lying to ourselves, and just be.'

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